Families can be complicated, can’t they? We feel lost if we don’t have them, yet sometimes, well…
Recently, my family had our annual Cousin Reunion. A reunion of cousins, you may ask? Yep. You see, there are a whole bunch of us. 56 first cousins. There are 50 of us left, and a few years ago we started gathering together to celebrate “family.”
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| Twenty-three first cousins – Sept. 2013 |
Originally we had 13 aunts and uncles. Today there are only four of the aunts and uncles left and the days of the big family reunions seemed to be of a bygone era.
But thankfully, we’ve revived this tradition.
We all know families can be complicated – sometimes we can’t get along without them, and sometimes they can seem like a necessary evil.
I’m thankful to say that I love my family. I love these reunions with my cousins. For a lot of us, our cousins were not only our first friends, but sometimes, our only friends growing up.
So, what’s the purpose of my thoughts today? I think my brother said it best: after this reunion he felt refreshed. We had a weekend to love, hug, laugh, and appreciate our history and our ancestors.
Being with each other unites us and grounds us. We’re part of something special.
And every once in a while it’s good to reminded of how special our family ties are.
I love family reunions. My dad had 8 brothers and sisters, and I grew up going to family reunions nearly every summer. What great times we had! I remember one year, as we pulled into Shaver Lake, we were waiting in a long line of cars to get into the camping area, when a gypsy came down the line, tapping on all the cars' windows. She was selling pencils. When she got to our car, my dad nearly had apoplexy. It was Auntie Flo, his sister! She was my idol!!
Unfortunately for us, all the brothers and sisters are in Heaven now. The first cousins are so scattered, we don't have reunions any more. How I miss them. You're right, they seem to be from a bygone era. Enjoy yours and I'll reminisce through yours. <3
Thanks for sharing your memories, Ane. I'll invite you to the next reunion! You'd fit right in and it would be a blast!